Mattress construction



5 Sheecs-SheexI 1 July 31, 1962 v. ERENBERG ETAL MATTRESS CONSTRUCTION Filed Deo. 23, 1959 A INVENTORS V/ ron ERE/@96 GEORGE d PECK y )rTTORNS/ July 31, 1962 v. ERENBERG ETAL 3,046,574

MATTRESS CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Shea?l 2 Filed Dec. 25, 1959 .The

INVENTORS July 31, 1962 v. ERENBERG ET AL MATTRESS CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 23, 1959 m E 5 M H E n m m V.

GEORGE d PEC/f ,atei

"ddee 3,046,574 MATTRESS CNSTRUCTIQN Vctor Erenherg, Beverly Hills, and George J. Peck, Monterey Park, Calif., assignors to Superior Bedding Company, a corporation of Nevada Filed Dec. 23, i959, Ser. No. 361,494 Il Ciaims. (Cl. 35l) 'Ille present invention relates generally to mattresses and more particularly to an improved mattress sidewall construction.

Mattresses are particularly vulnerable to deterioration and failure in their sidewalls, which are subjected to relatively high unit stresses as compared to other portions of the mattress. Persons frequently sit on the edge of their mattress so that most of their weight is concentrated in a small area as compared to the area occupied by a prone persons. As a consequence of this, a permanent sag may develop in the sidewall of the mattress whereby it becomes uncomfortable to rest on, and may also fail to serve its function in preventing a sleeper from rolling out of bed.

In order to minimize failure of the mattress sidewdl a variety of expedients have heretofore been employed. For example, it is common practice to apply border wires to the framework or core of springs in an attempt to distribute the stresses induced by the weight of a person sitting on the border of the mattress. In other types of constructions, auxiliary springs are mounted within the border of the spring core whose function it is to reinforce the mattress sidewall against permanent sagging. However, this type of construction adds appreciably to the cost of the mattress and is used only on the more expensive grades. Accordingly, it is among the major objects of our invention to provide an improved mattress construction having a superior but, at the same time, relatively inexpensive sidewall reinforcement means.

An object of our invention is to provide an improved mattress construction to obtain superior strength within the sidewall, and in the edges of the mattress at the junctions of thel upper and lower surfaces of the mattress with the sidewall.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a mattress which will not lose its shape over a period of long use, and which will tend to retain its original, neat and trim, edges and sidewalls.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a sidewall that is universally applicable to a wide variety of mattress and cushion core constructions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a simplified and highly eilicient type of sidewall construction that will give an extremely long service life and can be produced at a Very low cost.

These and other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a mattress sample, or cushion, wherein portions have been cut away to show interior details of construction;

FIGURE Z is a partial sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 2a is a partial perspective View of a portion of a sidewall prior to its attachment to the core of a mattress;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention, portions of the covering materials being broken away to show interior details of construction;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a partial plan view of another embodivment of the invention, with portions thereof .being broken i away to show interior detail:I of construction;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6 6 of FIGURE 5; Y I

FIGURE 7 is a partial plan view of a still further embodiment of the invention, also having portions cut away to show interior details of construction; and i i FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of FIGURE 7.

It will be appreciated by those'skilled in the art that the mattress construction hereinafter to be describedV in detail is not limited to bed mattresses, but may also be utilized in other cushion constructions. However, the invention has its greatest utility in conjunction with bed mattresses and accordingly the detailed description of the invention will be confined thereto.

In general, the invention comprises an array of column and rows of coil springs, sometimes referred to as the core, which is pe-ripherally bound with a quilted sidewall. An insulator element covers the upper and lower surfaces of the spring core and is, in turn, covered by a cotton padding. A cover or ticking is overlain on the padding of both the upper and lower surfaces of the mattress and is, in turn, peripherally secured along its edges to an upper or lower edge of the quilted sidewall.

The sidewall includes on its inner face a pair of endless tubular elements, which are stuffed with a suitable material, which fold over the edges of the upper and lower surfaces of the mattress. These padded tubular elements overlie the peripheral columns and rows `of the springs of the core, being secured to these springs along innermost longitudinally extending traces. Each of these tubular elements along its outermost longitudinally extending trace is secured to the sidewall along a line spaced from an edge of the sidewall, leaving a gap between the element and sidewall. The padding material on the upper and lower surfaces of the material has folded edges inserted into this gap, after which the edges of the cover ticking and the sidewall are secured to one another. With this arrangement, the several elements comprising the mattress are secured against displacement relative to one another even after numerous cycles of use, whereby a long service life is assured. Y f

In the drawings several dilferent embodiments of the invention are shown, which differ from one another primarily With respect to the type of core construction utilized therein. However, all of these several embodiments have common structural elements in thesidewall portion thereof, these ycommon elements being particularly illustrated in detail in FIGURE 2a, and these will be considered first.

The sidewall `includes an outer cover element 10 of heavy ticking, -a relatively light inner lining 12, Iand an intermediate layer 14 of cotton padding or the'like. The opposite edges of the cover 10 are'reversely. foldedas indicated at 16, whereby'v to reinforce these edges when secured to the ticking Vor covering for the upper and low'ei` surfaces of the mattress. The cover 10, inner liningflZ` and the intermediate layer of-padding 14 yare secured .tovgether by continuous stitching i8, ,which proceeds in alternate steps along opposite edges and transversely of the assembled elements which are thereby quilted together.

A pair of' elongated padded elements are secured to the `inner face of the quilted structure just described. This pair of elements 'extends parallel and substantially continuously around theinner face of the sidewall andeach comprises a tubular sheath 20, of muslin or the like, having an internal packing 22 of cotton padding or other similar material. In assembly, a rope of the packing 22 is enfolded by the sheath 20 and the `edges 24 of the sheath are brought together yand securedito the quilted sidewall by a chain of stitching 26 extending longitudinally of the sidewall. It will be observed that the lines of securement or stitching 26 which interconnect the tubular elements to the sidewall are offset from the upper and lower edges of the sidewall so as to leave a gap 28 between each sheath and the inner face of the sidewall. FIGURE 2a shows but one sheath 20, the other having been removed for clarity of illustration but it will be understood that a pair of such internally packed sheaths are employed. i

After the sidewall assembly has been made in this fashion, it `can then be utilized with any of the several types of core construction illustrated in the other figures of the drawings.` In considering the several embodiments of the invention shown, it should be borne in mind that the sidewall assembly has a height approximating the height of the spring units of the core, so that in each case the connections 26 of the tubular sheath to the sidewall are spaced intermediate the planes of the upper and lower surfaces of the mattress.

FIGURES 1 and 2 show a presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention. In this mattress the core comprises longitudinal and transverse arrays of coil springs 34 that are individually pocketed in strips 36, of muslin or the like. A pair of the strips 36 are employed to enclose a column or row of the springs 34, the strips 36 being secured to one another by stitching 38 along their opposite edges and each spring 34 being isolated in its own pocket, defined by parallel rows of transverse stitching 40. An insulator 42 is placed both beneath and on top of a suitable array of the individually pocketed springs and peripherally secured thereto by a plurality of fasteners 44, each of which passes through the insulator, the material of the pocket and around an end loop of a coil spring 34, the whole comprising a core assembly.

An appropriate length of the previously described sidewall assembly is now fastened to this core assembly, which is boxed in by the sidewall. This is accomplished by folding each packed sheath 20 over an edge of the core assembly after which a fastener 48 is passed through the free, longitudinally extending edge of the sheath 20, through the insulator 42 and around the innermost portion of an end loop of a pocketed coil spring 34. Referring to FIGURE 2, it will be observed that when a packed sheath 20 has been folded in this manner that it has a width, extending peripherally around the edge of the mattress, corresponding to the area of the end loops of the peripheral array of springs 34. The packing 22 encased by the sheath 20V is distributed, not only along the end faces of the peripheral springs 34, but is also folded over the edge of' the core assembly and extends the vertical distance from the edge of the core assembly to the line of securement 2,6.v Inasmuch as the extreme edges of the sidewall have not yet been secured, the gap 28 remains between the vertical portion of the sheath 20 and the inner face ofthe sidewall.

" Afterthe sidewall assembly has been thus secured to the core assembly, a layer of cotton padding 52, or the like, is then applied over both the upper and lower insulators 42. 4The padding 52 has an area which is slightly larger in length and width than the length and width of the,` finished mattress. Accordingly, the edges of the padding 52, prior to being assembled into the mattress, overhang the corresponding edges of the mattress. These overhanging edges are reversely folded downwardly and inwardlyand placed into the gap 28 between the sheath 20 and the inner face of the sidewall. -A cover or ticking S4' is then, placed over the padding of both the lower and uppersurfaces of the mattress and has its edge sewn to a reversely folded edge 16 of the sidewall. This is preferably accomplished concurrently with the afiixing of a piece of binding tape 56 into which the periphery of the ticking 54 and `an `edge 16 of the sidewall are sewn.

Y We'have found that the mattress just described has a sidewall strength and durability superior to even those mattressesincorporating auxiliary spring reinforcing means: in their sidewalls. With this arrangement, the padding material that is tightly packed around the edges of the mattress is effectively held against displacement even after long periods of use. Thus, the reversely folded edges of the padding material 52 are held against being displaced between the confronting surfaces of the sheath Z0, the ticking 54 and within the gap 28 but between the sheath `and the inner face of the sidewall. The sheath 20 ensures that the padding or packing 22 therewithin is also prevented from displacement. The fastening of the internally packed sheaths 20 to the core assembly by the fasteners 48 is thought to be of particular importance in securely tying the several elements together. The continuous sheath 20 is also of importance 4in avoiding localization of stresses induced when a person sits on the edge of the mattress, such stress being distributed oppositely from the point of application lengthwise along the sheath and ultimately being transmitted to a substantial number of the springs of the core.

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the invention utilizing a different type of core construction. In this embodiment the core assembly comprises a plurality of coil springs 64, Iadjacent rows of which are held together in one direction by a pluraliy of elongated helical spring wires 66, and in the other direction by a plurality of rectangular bands 63. A continuous border band 70 extends around both edges of the mattress border and is interconnected to the rectangular bands 68 by an elongated helical wire 72 looped around both the rectangular bands and the border band.

In this embodiment, the insulator element, to prevent the cotton padding from penetrating the springs 64, comprises a plurality of thin wires 74 held in parallel spaced relationship by transversely extending ropes 76 through which the wires 74 are passed.

As with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the sidewall assembly extends continuously around the core assembly and the packed sheaths 20 are folded over the border band '70. Fasteners 78 are employed to connect the innermost edge portions of the sheaths 20 to the innermost portions of the upper and lower or opposite end loops of the peripheral array of the springs 64. Thereafter, the oversized layers of cotton padding 52 are applied tothe upper and lower surfaces of the mattress with the edges reversely folded and inserted into the gaps 28 of the sidewall and the upper and lower ticking 54 thereafter applied to the asembly to complete the mattress assembly.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate another embodiment of the invention in which the core assembly comprises a plurality of springs 84, adjacent rows of which are held together by a plurality of elongated helical spring wires 86. A border reinforcement is provided in the form of a doubled wire 88 extending continuously around each edge of the core `assembly and bound to the outermost edges of the end loops of the peripheral springs 84 by an elongated wire coil 90. In this embodiment, the insulator element comprises a sheet 92, of muslin or the like, placed on the opposite surfaces of the mattress.

After the insulator sheets 92 have been put in place, the sidewall assembly is banded around the core assembly `and fasteners 94 are passed through the sheets 92, the innermost edges of the opposite end loops of the peripheral array of the core springs 84, and through the innermost extremity of the sheath 20. The oversize cotton padding 52 is then placed on lthe opposite surfaces of the mattress, after which the upper and lower ticking 54 is secured in place in the manner previously described.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 7 and 8, the core assembly simply takes the form of a plurality of springs 100, adjacent rows of which are connected together by elongated helical spring wires 102. The insulator element takes the form of a pad 104 of jute, or other fibrous material, the pad 104 being marginally secured to the outermost edges of the opposite end loops of the peripheral array of springs `by staples 106, or the like. A suit able length of the sidewall assembly is then employed to band the core assembly and the sheath 20 has its innermost edge secured to the assembly by stitchinglOS, which passes through the insulator pad 104 and around the innermost portion of the opposite end loops of the peripheral array of the springs G. Thereafter, the oversize cotton padding 52 is put in place in the manner previously described, after which the upper and lower tickings 54 are sewn into place.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that our invention expedites the process of assembling mattresses of several different types from the rseveral components thereof. Thus, the core assemblies, of whatever type, can be constructed first yand the insulator element then applied thereto. The sidewall assembly is then aixed to the core assembly and insulator, after which the mattress is readily finished by applying the padding and ticking to its opposite sides.

it will also be noted th-at with all of the typesof mattress construction herein described the sidewall assembly, in effect, denes a U-shaped channel within which the peripheral core springs are disposed. In this connection, attention is drawn to a fastening of the extremities of the innermost edges of the sidewall assembly sheaths to the innermost portions of the opposite end loops of the peripheral columns and rows of core springs. The biasing -action of the peripheral core springs is thus exerted on the sidewall assembly to stress the quilted sidewall in its vertical dimension.

While several embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, it is to be under-stood that we `do not wish to be limited to the precise structural details herein illustrated and described, but only by the spirit and scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A mattress comprising: -a spring core; insulator means on the upper Iand lower surfaces o-f said core; a sidewall extending around said core; a pair of parallel tubular elements secured to the inside of said sidewall to extend longitudinally therearound adjacent ythe peripheral upper and lower edges of said core, said sidewall and elements constituting a unitary sub-assembly prior to lassembly around said core said elements enclosing a packing material and extending inwardly over 'the ends of the peripheral springs of said core; means to fasten said tubular elements to said peripheral springs; layers of padding on the opposite surfaces of said core on top of said insulator means, each layer having its longitudinal edges, at least, disposed on top of said tubular elements; and ticking over the padding of the upper and lower surfaces of said core and peripherally secured to the edge of said sidewall.

2. A mattress comprising: a spring core; insulator means on the upper and lower surfaces of said core; a sidewall extending around said core; a pair of parallel, internally-padded sheaths secured to the inside of said sidewall to extend longitudinally therearound, each sheath being longitudinally secured to said sidewall along a line offset from an edge of said sidewall -to leave a. gap bet-Ween said sidewall and said sheath, with t-he sheaths spaced from each other by the intermediate portion of the sidewall and each sheath lhaving sufiicient width to be foldable o-ver an edge of Said core to extend inwardly on one of the upper and lower surfaces of said core; means to fasten said sheaths to the peripheral springs of said core; a layer of padding on each of 'the surfaces of said core over said insulator means and having folded longitudinal edges, at least, disposed in said gap between one of said sheaths and said sidewall; and ticking over the padding of the upper and lower surfaces of said core and peripherally secured to an edge of said sidewall.

3. A mattress comprising: a spring core; a quilted sidewall extending around said core; insulator means on the upper and lower surfaces of said core; a pair of parallel, internally-padded sheaths secured to the inside of said sidewall to extend longitudinally therearound, each sheath being longitudinally secured Ito said sidewall along a line offset from an edge of said sidewall to leave a gap between said sidewall and said sheath, said sheaths being separated by theintermediate portion of lthe sidewall and said sidewall having padding therein both between and alongside of said sheaths, and each sheath having sufficientwidth to be foldable over an edge of said core to extend inwardly on one :of the upper 'and lower surfaces of said core; means to fasten the innermost longitudinally extending edge of said sheath to the innermost portions of the end loops of the peripheral springs of said core; a layer of padding on each of the surfaces o-f said core over said insulator means and having folded longitudinal edges, at least, disposed in said gap between one ofsaid sheaths and said sidewall and thus between the padding in the sheath and the padding in the sidewall; and ticking over Y i the padding of the upper and lower surfaces of said core in a fabric material; an insulator sheet on each of the Y.

upper and lower surfaces of said core; -a quilted sidewall extending continuously around said core; a pair of parallel, internally-padded sheaths secured to the inside of said sidewall to extend longitudinally therearound, each sheath being longitudinally secured to said sidewall along a line offset from an edge of said sidewall to leave a gap between said sidewall and said sheath, and each sheath having suiiicient width to be foldable over an edge of said core to extend inwardly on one of the upper and lower surfaces of said core, on top of said insulator sheet; means to fasten the innermost longitudinally extending edge of said sheath to the innermost portions of the end loops of the peripheral springs of said core; a layer of padding on each of the surfaces of said core over said insulator sheet and having folded longitudinal edges, :at least, disposed in said gap between one of said sheaths and Said sidewall; `and ticking over the padding of the upper and lower surfaces of said core and peripherall'y secured to an edge of said sidewall.

5. A mattress comprising: a spring core having ,an array of springs with border wires around the edges of the lower and upper surfaces thereof; insulator means on the upper and lower surfaces of said core; a quilted sidewall extending around said core; a pair of parallel, internally-padded sheaths secured to the inside of said sidewall to extend longitudinally therearound, each sheath being longitudinally secured to said sidewall along a line offset from an edge of said sidewall -to leave a gap between said sidewall and said sheath, said sheaths being separated by the intermediate portion of the sidewall and said sidewall having padding therein both between and alongside of said sheaths each sheath having sufficient width to be foldable over one of said border wires of said core to extend inwardly on one of the upper or lower surfaces of said core; means to fasten the innermost longitudinally extending edge of said sheaths to the innermost portions of the end loops of the periphenal springs of said core; a layer of padding on each of the surfaces of said core over said insulator means and having folded longitudinal edges, at least, disposed in said gap between said one of said sheaths and said sidewall and thus between the padding in the sheath and the padding in the sidewall; and ticking over the padding of the upper `and lower surfaces of said core and peripherally secured to an edge of said sidewall.

6. A `mattress a-s set fort-h in claim 5 in which said insulator means comprises a plurality of wires held in parallel spaced relationship by a p-l-urality of ropes transversely disposed to said wires and through which said wires pass, the spacing between said wires being less than the `diameter of the end loops of the springs of said core.

said sheet being disposed between the peripheral springs of said core and said sheath.

8. A mattress comprising: a core consisting of an array of springs, adjacent rows of said springs being secured together by an elongated helical core of wire; an insulator means on the upper and lower surfaces of said core and coextensive with said core surfaces; a quilted sidewall extending around said core; a pair of parallel, intemally-padded sheaths secured to the inside of said sidewall to extend longitudinally therearound, each sheath being longitudinally secured to said sidewall along a line offset from an edge of said sidewall to leave a gap between said sidewall and said sheath, said sheaths being separated by the intermediate portion of the sidewall and said sidewall having `padding therein both `between and alongside of said sheaths, each sheath having sufficient width to be foldable over an edge of said core to extend inwardly on one of the upper and lower surfaces of said core; means to fasten the innermost longitudinally extending edge of said sheath to theinnermost portions of the end loops of the peripheral springs of said core; a layer of padding on each of the surfaces of said core over said insulator means and having folded longitudinal edges, at least, disposed in said gap between one of said sheatlis and said sidewall and thus between the padding in the sheath and the padding in `the sidewall; and ticking over the padding of the upper and lower surfaces of said core and peripherally secured to an edge of said sidewall.

9. A mattress as set lforth in claim 8 in which said insulator means comprises a sheet of a matted fibrous materid.

10. A mattress comprising: a spring core; insulator means on the upper and lower surfaces of said core; a sidewall extending around said core; a pair of parallel, internally-padded sheaths secured to the inside of said sidewall to extend longitudinally therearound, each sheath being longitudinally secured to said sidewall along a line offset from an edge of said sidewall to leave ja gap between said sidewall and said sheath, said sheaths being separated by the intermediate portion of the sidewall and said sidewall having lpadding' therein both between and alongside of said sheaths, each sheath having suicient width to be foldable over an edge of said core to extend inwardly on one of the upper and lower surfaces of said core on top of said insulator means; means fastening said sheaths to the peripheral springs of said core; a layer of padding on each of the surfaces of said core over said insulator means and having folded longitudinal edges, at least, disposed in said gap between one of said sheaths and said sidewall and thus between the padding in the sheath and the padding in the sidewall; and ticking over the padding on the upper and lower surfaces of the core and peripherally secured to an edge of said sidewall.

l1. A mattress comprising: a spring core; insulator means on the upper and lower surfaces of said core; a sidewall extending around said core; a pair of parallel, internally-padded sheaths secured to the inside of said sidewall to extend longitudinally therearound, each sheath being longitudinally secured to said sidewall along a line `oiifset from an edge of said sidewall to leave a gap between said sidewall and said sheath, said sheaths being spaced from each other by the intermediate portion of the sidewall and the sidewall and sheaths forming a unitary subassembly prior to assembly on the core, each sheath having suicient width to be foldable over an edge of said core to extend inwardly on one of the upper and lower surfaces of said core; means fastening said sheaths to the peripheral springs of said core; a layer of padding on each of the surfaces of said core over said insulator means and having folded longitudinal edges, at least, disposed in said gap between one of said sheaths and said sidewall; and ticking over the padding on the upper and lower surfaces of said core and peripherally secured to an edge of said sidewall.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,974,044 Foster Sept. 18, 1934 1,986,255 Durfey et al. VJan. 1, 1935 2,112,856 Marsack Apr. 5, 1938 2,152,237 Bechik Mar. 28, 1939 2,715,435 Rymland Aug. 16, 1955 

